Dissolution properties of cypermethrin/cyclodextrin complexes

Cypermethrin—a very effective pyrethroid-type insecticide—has been complexed with β-cyclodextrin and peracetylated-β-cyclodextrin with different guest content. Dissolution measurements by reversed phase HPLC method, together with UV-spectrophotometry, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry were applied to prove the inclusion complex formation and characterize the complexes. With the help of the thermal analysis the really complexed (strongly bound) and surface-bound guests were distinguished. All of the β-cyclodextrin complexes show better dissolution rate than the pure guest. In case of inclusion complexes an oversaturated solution was formed with extremely high concentration of active substance (6–19 mg L^?1) during the first couple of minutes then the concentration decreased gradually until it reached the equilibrium solubility value of the complex (2 mg L^?1). The cypermethrin/peracetylated-β-cyclodextrin complexes prepared with organic solvent method showed slightly retarded dissolution profile compared to the pure guest. The area under the dissolution curves was introduced for quantitative characterization of the dissolution rate. The release was found to depend on the complexed guest content of the samples. The continuous variation plots used first for this parameter gave information on the stoichiometry of the complexes: 1:2 cypermethrin/β-cyclodextrin and 1:1.25 cypermethrin/peracetylated-β-cyclodextrin.     

Can cyclodextrins really improve the selectivity of extraction of BTEX compounds?

Solubility of BTEX compounds was determined in aqueous solutions of natural CDs (α-, β-, γCD) as well as of some industrial βCD derivatives (RAMEB, HPBCD, AcβCD) measured by UV photometry. From the phase solubility diagrams the complex association constants were determined. The βCD derivatives increased the solubility of individual monoaromatic compounds, depending on the structure of the guest molecule. We have found that RAMEB (randomly methylated βCD) and AcβCD (partially acetylated βCD) are the most effective solubilizers while the effect of natural CDs is not significant because the complexes precipitate from the solutions. Extraction experiments were performed to see how the complexation of components influences the extraction using a mixture modeling the composition of these pollutants in soil. We have found that although the soluble CD derivatives are not as selective as expected based on complex association constants, they increased the efficacy of extraction by 4–6 times. The reason of the low selectivity is that the concentration ratio of certain BTEX compounds in CD solutions is smaller than in water. CD derivatives seem to have an equalizing effect: the solubility of the least soluble p-xylene is improved in the highest extent, but that of benzene the least. This result, however, is an advantage in the application of these CD derivatives in soil remediation (the availability of each BTEX compounds will be enhanced).